Safety cigarette holder



1959 M. v. COMPTON 2,897,824

SAFETY CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed Nov. 1, 1957 0 9 y l l 19- /0 FIG. 2. FIG.3.

INVENTQR.

SAFETY CIGARETTE HOLDER Max V. Compton, Watsonville, Calif, assignor ofonetenth to Gadget-of-The-Month Club, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif, acorporation of California Application November 1, 1957, Serial No.693,896

3 Claims. (Cl. 131-474) Generally speaking, the present inventionrelates to the cigarette holding art and, more specifically, relates toan improved safety cigarette holder which is especially designed toprevent fires caused by careless smokers who are apt to fall asleepbefore extinguishing the lighted cigarette.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a safetycigarette holder which is self-snuffing, whereby unattended lightedcigarettes may be extinguished safely.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-snufi'ingcigarette holder which will permit the free escape of smoke and whichwill not change the taste of the cigarette.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a safetycigarette holder having frictional cigarette retaining means of improvedholding characteristics.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a safetycigarette holder including improved cigarette retaining means andactuating means, whereby a cigarette may be quickly and easily insertedinto the holder.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device ofthe character set forth in the preceding objects, which is extremelycheap, simple, easy to use and of virtually foolproof construction.

Other and allied objects will be apparent to those skilled in the artafter a careful perusal, examination and study of the accompanyingillustrations, the present specification, and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinbelowdescribed figures, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the safety cigarette holder with acigarette, shown in phantom, inserted there- Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryrear elevational view of the cigarette retaining means in a normalposition;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the cigarette retainingmeans, with the movable plunger arm depressing the inverted,substantially U-shaped clip into an oval shape, whereby a cigarette maybe inserted therethrough; and

Fig. 4 is a reduced side elevational view of the safety cigaretteholder, as shown in Fig. 1.

Generally speaking, the safety cigarette holder of the present inventionconsists of an elongated, open framework, cigarette-enclosing structure,indicated generally at 5 in Figs. 1 and 4, having an inlet end 7 and aclosed end 6. The cigarette holder is of open framework construction inorder to allow the smoke to escape freely.

The cigarette enclosing structure 5 consists of radially disposedlongitudinal bars 8 and transverse structural support bars 9, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4. It should be noted that the bottom portion of the openframework enclosing structure 5 may be closed in order to provide a trapfor the cigarette ashes in other versions of the present invention.

The enclosing structure 5 completely surrounds the cigarette 20 and isnormally closed enough to prevent 2,897,824 Patented Aug. 4, 1959 theingress of combustible material such as blankets, bedsheets, or thelike.

The longitudinal bars 8 include perpendicularly bent portions 10 at bothends thereof which are 'aifixed at one end to the ring 11 and to thesupport ring 12 at the opposite end, as best illustrated in Fig. l. Thering 11, which effectively defines the closed end 6, is of sufiicientdiameter so that a match may be inserted in order to light the cigarette20 within the enclosing structure 5. In other versions of the presentinvention, the closed end 6 may be hinged in order to facilitatelighting of the cigarette 20 after insertion.

The frictional cigarette retaining means, indicated generally at 13 inFigs. 2 and 3, at the inlet end 6, includes a support ring 12 having anaperture 14 at the top thereof, and a movable plunger arm 15 which iscooperable for actuating the inverted, substantially U-shaped flexiblecigarette gripper 16.

The flexible gripper 16 is afiixed to the inside of the support ring 12and is normally. elliptical in shape at the top thereof when in a normalor a gripping position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and One end of theplunger arm 15 is fixedly attached at 17 to the ring 11 and the freeactuating end 18 is inserted through the aperture 14- and in contactwith the top of the clip 16.

As the plunger arm 15 is depressed the actuating end 18 deforms the topof the clip 16 into an oval shape, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby enablinga cigarette 20 to be inserted therethrough. Once the plunger arm 15 isreleased the gripper 16 will return to its normal elliptical position,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby firmly retaining the cigarette withinthe enclosing structure 5.

The cigarette 2.0 may be lighted prior to or after insertion in theenclosing structure 5.

The cigarette gripper 16 is preferably made of metal or some otherfireproof material so that a lighted cigarette will automaticallyextinguish itself upon burning back to that point. The compression ofthe gripper 16 is of such strength that it will not compress thecigarette 20 too much, so as not to afiect the inhalation process.

A downwardly directed handle 19 is normally attached adjacent the closedend 6 in order to facilitate the handling of the device. The handle 19is preferably fixedly attached, although in some versions it may beremovably mounted.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention willoccur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All suchproperly within the basic spirit, scope and/or teachings of the presentinvention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fullyas if specifically described, illustrated and claimed.

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relativepositionings, and cooperative relationships of the various componentparts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modifiedsubstantially within the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiment of the present invention specifically described andillustrated herein is exemplary only, and is not intended to limit thescope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the lightof the prior alt and the appended claims only, with due considerationfor the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. A safety cigarette holder, comprising: an elongated, open framework,cigarette-enclosing structure having an inlet end and a closed end andincluding radially disposed longitudinal bars and transverse supportbars for said radially disposed longitudinal bars; a ring, defining saidclosed end, whereon said longitudinal bars are fixedly attached at oneend thereof; frictional cigarette retaining means at said inlet end,said cigarette retaining means 3 including a support ring, a cigarettegripper, and actuating means; an aperture on the top of said supportring; said actuating means being cooperable for deforming said cigarettegripper into an oval shape, whereby a cigarette may be inserted therein,and being cooperable, uponrelease thereof, for allowing said cigarettegripper to return to its normal position thereby enabling a cigarette tobe retained within said cigarette enclosing structure, said actuatingmeans comprising a movable arm having one end fixedly attached to saidring at said inlet end and a free actuating end, communicating throughsaid aperture in said support ring, in contiguous contact with the topof said inverted substantially U-shaped cigarette gripper; handle meansadjacent said closed end; said cigarette gripper being of fireproofmaterial and being cooperable for extinguishing a lighted'cigarette.

2. A safety cigarette holder, comprising: an elongated, open framework,cigarette-enclosing structure having an inlet end and a closed end andincluding radially disposed longitudinal bars and transverse supportbars for said radially disposed longitudinal bars; a ring, defining saidclosed end, whereon said longitudinal bars are fixedly attached at oneend thereof; cigarette retaining means, said cigarette reaining meansincluding a support ring, a cigarette gripper, and actuating means; saidcigarette gripper being fixedly attached to the inner surface of saidsupport ring, said cigarette gripper being of fireproof material andbeing cooperable for extinguishing a lighted cigarette; an aperture onthe top of said support ring; said actuating means being cooperable,upon downward movement, for deforming said cigarette gripper into anoval shape, whereby a cigarette may be inserted therein, and beingcooperable, upon release thereof, for allowing said cigarette gripper toreturn to its normal position thereby enabling a cigarette to beretained within said cigarette-enclosing structure; said actuating meanscomprising a movable arm having one end fixedly attached to said ring atsaid inlet end and a free actuating end, communicating through saidaperture in said support ring, in contiguous contact with the top ofsaid inverted substantially U-shaped cigarette gripper; downwardlydirected handle means adjacent said closed end. 3. A safety cigaretteholder, comprising: an elongated, open framework, cigarette-enclosingstructure having an inlet end and a closed end and including radiallydisposed longitudinal bars and transverse support bars for said radiallydisposed longitudinal bars; a ring, defining said closed end, whereonsaid longitudinal bars are fixedly attached at one end thereof;frictional cigarette retaining means at said inlet end, said cigaretteretaining means including a central support ring, whereon the oppositeends of said longitudinal bars are fixedly attached, an inverted,substantially U-shaped flexible cigarette gripper, and manually operableactuating means; said cigarette gripper being fixedly attached to theinner surface of said support ring, said cigarette gripper being offireproof material and being cooperable for extinguishing a lightedcigarette; an aperture on the top of said support ring; said actuatingmeans being cooperable, upon downward movement, for deforming saidcigarette gripper into an oval shape, whereby a cigarette may beinserted therein, and being cooperable, upon release thereof, forallowing said cigarette gripper to return to its normal position therebyenabling a cigarette to be retained within said cigarette-enclosingstructure; said actuating means comprising a movable arm having one endfixedly attached to said ring at said inlet end and a free actuatingend, communicating through said aperture in said support ring, incontiguous contact with the top of said inverted substantially U-shapedcigarette gripper; downwardly directed handle means adjacent said closedend.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,153,332 Lewis Apr. 4, 1939 2,207,197 Havey July 9, 1940 2,548,689Vertiz Apr. 10, 1951

